"Black jeans, white tee, black converse/you know she gets it right/blue hair, blue eyes, I saw her/I couldn't help it, I was like...."

5 Seconds of Summer gets cut off when I turn over and hit the stop button on my phone's alarm clock.

I throw the covers off the bed, already knowing what I'm gonna wear, 5SOS having made that decision for me. From my closet I pull out black skinny jeans and a white tee shirt. I put them on and then I stick my dirty-sock-clad-feet into my old black converse.

Standing in front of the mirror, I pull out my hair from the bun I'd put it in last night. It falls nicely for once, and although it looks slightly messy, I know running my fingers through it with conditioner will fix that.

Once I'm all set, I stroll down the stairs and stop by the kitchen. It's been a few days (I think four?) since my banana-tastrophe, so I've been making sure that I take a few moments before I leave to bring something that can actually be considered a meal. I grab a Coke from the fridge and a hot pocket, seeing as the school has a student-friendly microwave that I can heat it up in.

I walk out the door to meet Cady at our corner, and as a breeze hits my skin, I internally face-palm at not having brought a hoodie with me. I let it go though, because I always keep a spare one in my locker anyways.

As I walk to the corner, I put in my earbuds and put on Fourth of July by Fall Out Boy.

The volume in my earbuds is too loud for me to notice that I've started to sing aloud until I realize I am.

Feeling like someone's watching me, I turn in a slow circle, eyes surveying the street. When I don't see anything, I shrug, and keep listening (and singing).

I hit the chorus and (probably) end up waking up the whole neighborhood. "It was the fourth of July! You and I were, you and I were fire, fire, fireworks! Works that went off too soon, and I'll miss you in the June gloom too! It was the fourth of July!" I rip out one of my earbuds to hear how loud I sing the next line. "You and I were fire, fire, fireworks!."

I'm thrown off because I hear voices singing with me. So I turn around again, and just as I'm completing my circle, two people jump out at me from behind a thick tree, and I take off running.

I'm pumping my legs towards the school, with two deranged psychopaths chasing me, and Fall Out Boy flowing into my ears. Never thought this would happen.

Let me just say. I've always been able to sprint. I can beat any other girl in a speed race. But endurance? Whole other story. I can't endure a distance race for the life of me. Usually. That being said, I've just realized that with two murderers chasing me, I can go from a not-so-seasoned sprinter to Usain Bolt. Sure, I can't breathe, but there is no way I'm getting killed today.

I've been full-out sprinting for God-knows-how-long, when my marvelous Spearmont High comes into view. Knowing that if I can just get inside, I could meet Etch in his room and be safe, I sprint harder, probably harder than I ever have before.

As I get to the entrance, I burst past the doors and fly into the corridors. Students see me coming and make way, so I keep sprinting past them until I get to the east wing staircase. I take them in record time, and when I finally make it up to Etch's room, I start banging on the door. I'm too breathless to scream that it's me, but when Etch pulls open the door, I jump into the room and collapse on his carpet.

I rip out my earbuds to hear Etch slam the door shut, lock it again, and rush to my side. He rubs my back as he asks, "Vanilla? Vanilla, are you okay? What's wrong? Should I be worried?"

I'm wheezing from my sprint, and I can't even answer him. I roll over to face him, his hand falling off of me, and hold up one finger, trying to tell him that I'll talk when I regain my breath.

I keep breathing heavily for several minutes, then I glance at a clock on Etch's wall. The bell should ring any second now. So as not to be late to class, I pull myself up from the ground and stand up. As the bell rings, I face Etch and tell him, "I'll be back at lunch to tell you what happened."

I make a move towards the door, but Etch catches my wrist and pulls me back. He drags me to his small sofa and gently shoves me down so I'm sitting on it. Then he kneels in front of me. "Camila Vanessa Vanilla Martinez, I'm not letting you leave until you tell me why the hell you burst into my room like you'd just finished a marathon."

I start to argue. "But Etch, we'll both be late to class, I don't want to-"

"No! No. No offense, but right now, I don't give a damn if you're late. May I remind you, this is my room, and I have a right to know."

I sigh, knowing that he won't back down. "I was waiting for Cady on the corner that we usually meet at to walk to school, and two people jumped at me, so I took off running and I could hear them following me, and I was thinking if I could just get up here, with you, I could lose them. I could be safe."

Etch nods, his blue eyes not showing sympathy like I'd imagined they would. Instead, they look a bit cold. "So, it's been four days since I lent this room to you, and the first time you use it is to escape two people who chased you?"

I sigh. "Etch, you don't get it. They scared me out of my wits. They followed me to the school. I've been running for god-knows-how-long. If you got jumped out at, wouldn't you have been scared?"

Etch nods, but still protests. "Yeah, but I at least would've tried to get a good look at them. What if they were students trying to give someone a scare? Did you think of that?"

Frustrated, I sigh again. "No, but Etch, I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about not potentially getting mugged or raped or murdered. When that's what's going through your mind, adrenaline kicks in quite a bit more than logic does."

Etch stands up from his kneeling position, his stone-cold, ocean-blue eyes still making me chilly. "You win."

I scoff at him. "Of course I do. You weren't the one being chased."

Etch closes his eyes, breathing out. "No, I wasn't. I'm just saying, I would've gone about that a bit differently."

I cross my arms. "I hear you. But see, I'm not you."

Etch opens his eyes again. "Yeah, I got that," he snaps.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I ask him harshly, "Why are you even so upset about this?"

Etch looks down at me for a prolonged bit of time, and with my eyes I dare him to answer me with his current iciness. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. When he re-opens them, the coldness is gone. "I'm sorry, Vanilla. I had a rough morning. Made me stressed and mad. I guess I needed something to take it out on, and I did, on you. That was wrong, I'm sorry."

I nod, but still feel a little pissed at him. I try to accept his apology, but my words come out with a frosty tone. "It's okay, Etch. We all have our off days." I stand up from the sofa. "I have to get to class now. I'll catch you later." I grab my backpack and walk out the door.

Well, I try to. It's locked, and I realize Etch has the key after trying to open it a few times. He comes up beside me and unlocks the door. Before he lets me leave, though, he asks, "Do you wanna come up and have lunch with me? I know we talk and all but I feel like we don't really talk often or anything. Maybe this morning was also because I just don't know you a lot."

I ponder his request for a moment, then I nod my head. "I'll be here. Are you coming to History, Etch?"

He nods. "I just have to get my stuff. You go. I'll be down in a second."

He lets me leave, and I go back down the stairs to my first period.

–••

After my first period (in which I got detention for being late), I make my way back to my locker, still in a rather bad mood.

After a moment, I hear commotion from the other end of the hallway. I turn my head to look just as Luke bursts around the corner, running his way up to me.

When he gets to me, he grabs my shoulders, very tightly. "Van, I'm so sorry. Cady and I didn't mean to scare you that bad. It was just a prank. God, I've never seen anyone run that fast in my whole life. I'm sorry."

I shove him off of me. "What are you talking about?"

I hear a locker door open from behind me, and Cady's voice speaks, making me whirl around to face her. "Luke and I, but mostly Luke, thought it would be funny to scare you, so this morning, we jumped out at you from a tree while you were waiting for me."

My eyes widen as she says this. I spin back around to face Luke, my voice raised as I ask, "What?! Why the hell would you do that?!"

He raises his hands, as if in surrender, before he flounders his way through his answer. "I mean, Van, I thought it would be funny! I didn't think we'd scare you that much, cause like, you don't seem like the type of girl that gets scared easily, but I mean, isn't pranking something that normal friends do? I'd prank Matt-slash-Ben all the time. I didn't...." I'm looking at him a bit harshly, and when Luke looks up to meet my eyes, he sighs, defeated. "Sorry."

From behind, Cady pats my back. "Me too."

I turn back to my locker and finish packing up my things. Hoisting my backpack onto my shoulder, I cast a short glance at Luke before nodding at Cady and walking away.

I hear footsteps behind me, and without looking I know who it is. "Van, come on, please forgive me. I promise you, I didn't want this to happen."

Still facing forward, I say simply, "Okay."

"But Van-"

"I said, 'okay.'"

"Just listen, please-"

I stop, and Luke bumps into my back. Gently, he grabs my shoulders and makes me turn to look at him. "Van, I'm sorry. I forgot what it was like having friends. I got carried away. Okay?"

I look down, only now remembering what he told me that day when he walked me home. About being friendless. Even though I'm still not in the best of moods, I nod, trying to turn it around. "Okay. Yeah. I overreacted, you're forgiven."

Luke breathes out a sigh of relief. "Okay. Thank you. I needed that." He links his arm in mine and we both start trekking to biology.

Outside the door, Luke lets go of me and opens the door. I step into the classroom and take my preferred seat, in the back right corner. Luke sits next to me and tries to make small talk while we wait for the classroom to fill up.

"You like Fall Out Boy?"

I hum affirmatively. "A bit."

"Funny, I was listening to that before I went to go meet Cady at that tree to prank you."

I roll my eyes. "I like, actually thought you two were hatchet murderers. I watched an episode of I Love Lucy last night where there was a hatchet murderer and I guess it got to me." I laugh, and as I do, I realize it's the first time I laugh, even smile, all morning.

Luke cocks his head to the side. "You watch I Love Lucy?"

I raise an eyebrow, and say jokingly, "It's a classic, duh, of course I watch it." I laugh at myself again.

Luke chuckles. "I've only ever seen one episode of I Love Lucy, but that was like five years ago once when I stayed with my great aunt."

I shake my head lightheartedly. "Shame. You'll have to come over one day and binge it with me. It's on demand sometimes on the Hallmark channel."

Luke rolls his eyes. "If you insist, Van."

I nod quickly. "I do insist, Luke."

As the teacher walks in, Luke smiles, and I, in turn, smile back at him.

– –

The periods I have before lunch all fly by, if that's even possible, because usually they don't.

Before going up to Etch's room, I go to the cafeteria to heat up my Hot Pocket. When it's finished, I grab a nearby paper towel and stick it back in my backpack.

I know I'll have to make up an excuse to Cady and Luke about where I'll be for lunch today, and so I get to thinking about that.

I come up with a believable excuse, albeit a crappy one, and stop by our lunch table.

(Luke's been consistently sitting with us since that one day, and I don't mind, because I know this is good for him.)

Luke looks up from his food. "I know you were in my last class, but hi, long time no see."

I giggle at him and then remember what I came here to tell them. Feigning pain, I grab my head. "Giggling hurts," I moan.

Cady squints at me, and I bet she's trying to figure out if I'm lying. I don't dare to ramp up my act, because I know I'm already probably balancing precariously on the thin line between believable and obviously-trying-to-get-out-of-something.

Narrowing my eyes as if the light in the room is hurting me, I mumble, "I'm gonna go see if the nurse has got any headache meds. I feel a migraine coming on. I'll be back."

Although I know I won't come back during lunch, I have to at least make them think I will. Luke nods, his eyes gazing at me worriedly, and Cady lets her suspicion fall away, waving in the direction of the nurse's office. "Go," she tells me. "She always takes forever to find the headache meds though, so text me when you've got the pills."

I nod and walk off. For good measure, I stop by the nurse's and ask for headache meds. Contrary to Cady's words, the nurse gives them to me in a matter of seconds. "Take them with water, these aren't meant to be dry-swallowed."

I pocket them and then run off in the direction of the east wing. When I'm up to Etch's room, I knock on the door. "It's me."

Etch unlocks it and opens it, wide enough for me to step in. "Hey, Etch."

He closes the door and locks it. "Hey, Vanilla."

I sit down on his carpet, my back against his sofa. "Eating lunch in a janitor's-closet-turned-living-room with a guy whose last name is also a month. This is a first."

Etch laughs and takes a seat next to me. "You can sit on the couch if you want, Vanilla."

I shake my head. "I'm a messy eater. I don't wanna mess up your couch; it looks so nice."

He nods while I pull my Coke and Hot Pocket out of my backpack. I start digging in while I glance around the room.

Noticing The Hunger Games on his shelf, and recalling when I told him Peeta Mellark was my boyfriend, I ask him, "Who's your favorite character from The Hunger Games?"

Etch bites his lip, thinking. After a moment, he answers, "Joanna Mason."

While chewing, I tell him, "Solid answer."

Etch laughs at my rude food-chewing and asks me the same question. "Your favorite?"

Eyeing him, I raise an eyebrow. "C'mon, you know this one, Etch."

He takes a bite out of a sandwich he brought before looking back at me, smirking. "Oh. Right. Your boyfriend. Peeta Mellark."

I roll my eyes and nod. "Yep."

I glance back at his shelves of books, all of from the sci-fi genre. I realize that he and I, we may not be so different.

So we end up spending all of lunch period geeking out over all types of different science fiction worlds, and I don't think I've ever known someone who geeks out as much as me, until now.

•– –

Again, the time flies. As the bell rings signaling the start of the final class of the day, I take my time strolling towards the library, seeing as today, I have free period.

After making my way into the library, I grab a random romance book off a shelf and sit in a corner of the library's sitting well, reading.

Just an observation, but every single school library I've been in has had a sort of stairwell for sitting. I mean, I honestly think a bunch of small sofas would be a bit more comfortable than carpeted steps.

As I read on, someone plops down beside me, and I know it's Cady because for the month that I've been here, our thing is sitting in the library during free period, doing whatever comes into our minds.

"How's your headache?"

I nod my head, keeping my face in the book.

"You didn't text me and tell me if you got the pills or not."

"I did." I decide to half-lie to her. "I was told not to dry-swallow them, and I didn't have water, so I just didn't take them. I stayed in the nurse's office for most of lunch letting it calm down."

Her voice laced with suspicion, she states, "You could've gotten water from the fountain in the hallway."

I shrug. "I thought getting up would hurt my head so I stayed down. I'm better now, really."

Cady crosses her arms beside me. "Okay. I believe you."

I nod. "I feel a bit bad about this morning. About Luke."

Cady sighs. "I think he likes you."

After scoffing, I tell her, "Why wouldn't he? I'm like, the most awesome person at this school. Note my sarcasm."

Cady slaps my arm playfully. "I'm serious! I think he likes you, likes you."

I think, in the back of my mind, I knew this already. But hearing her say it kinda reinforced it, I guess, and all I can do when Cady says it is look down and nod.

Nudging my arm, she says, "Don't you got anything to say?"

"The proper way to say that sentence would be, 'Don't you have anything to say,'" I mumble lowly.

I can almost feel Cady roll her eyes. "I'm serious, Cami. You really don't have anything to say?"

I shrug, not knowing if I'm lying to myself or to Cady. "I guess you can kinda tell. But I don't wanna draw any assumptions. It could just be platonic, I mean, a lot of platonic relationships seem like actual relationships but they're not, y'know?"

Cady pats my back. "Whatever you say." She stand up. "I'm gonna go get earbuds out of my locker. Then we can silent-jam together. 'Kay?"

I nod. "Okay. I'll wait."

After a couple minutes, she comes back with earbuds and plugs them into her phone.

I keep reading while she scrolls through her various playlists. After a little while, she hands me an earbud and I take it. When it's lodged securely in my ear, Cady presses play on the song she's selected, and Caught In The Middle by Paramore streams into my ear.

Cady and I both sing along softly and quietly. When the bridge comes along, I start to play with my eyebrows and wiggle them awkwardly. Cady laughs at me loudly, earning her a loud "shhhhh!" from the librarian.

When the song ends, Cady wastes no time in picking out the next one, and for the second time today, I find myself singing along to Fall Out Boy. Only this time, it's their song My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark.

I nod my head to the beat of the song, and make a conscious effort to lip-sync to the song and not sing.

However, Cady does not, and as soon as the chorus begins to play, she starts to sing along, and she's not being subtle about it either. "My songs know what you did in the da-a-a-a-a-rk!"

From across the room, I see the librarian stand up from her small desk and make her way over to us. Cady's eyes are closed, and she's still singing, so she doesn't notice. "So light em up up up, light em up up up, light em up up up, I'm on fire!"

Cady gets cut off when the librarian grabs her phone, thus pulling the earbud out of her ear. She grins sheepishly, and perhaps not very wisely, says, "There isn't really a sign that says, 'no singing.'"

The poor librarian lady looks down and sighs. Then she looks back up at Cady. "I'm feeling generous today. Normally I'd give you detention, but I'll let you off with a warning for now."

Cady nods. "Yes, ma'am, thank you."

I start snickering, and I'm trying to be subtle about it, but Cady narrows her eyes at me, which makes me abandon subtlety and laugh, as quietly as I can.

Cady looks away for a quick moment, then looks back at me, with a biting stare. I pathetically turn my laughs into coughs and bury my head back in my book.

Beside me, Cady sighs. "I've heard rumors about you."

Still staring at my book, I raise my eyebrow and ask, "Rumors?"

She nods suggestively. "M-hmm. About you and a certain someone by the name Fletcher November."

I scoff. "Etch and I are not a thing. He and I are friends, if that."

Maintaining her suggestive tone, she states, "Friends. Yeah. I can sure see you and Etch being, quote-on-quote, 'friends.'"

Rolling my eyes, I close my book. "Just. Friends. Why is it that every time I get a friend who happens to be a guy, you think we're more than friends?"

Cady smirks and shrugs. "I dunno. But just for your information, I ship you and Luke  more than I ship you and Etch. Although, you'd look cute with either of them."

I laugh shortly. I keep my voice in an unimpressed tone when I reply, "Yeah. Okay."

Standing up, Cady looks at her watch. "I've gotta go clean my locker. See ya in a few."

I wave at her and reopen my book. I can't manage to actually focus on it though, and I end up shutting it and getting lost in my thoughts. Among those of everyday life and stresses, thoughts of Luke drift by.

I don't spend enough time with Luke. Gosh, he cares so much about me and we've been friends for not even a week yet. I'm probably such a bad friend. I should be a better friend. I should spend more time with him. I think I'll invite him over today. He needs a friend, and that's exactly what I'm going to be to him.

I stand up, maybe a bit dramatically, and push my book into a random shelf while I walk out of the library. Once I get into the hallway, I match myself down the hall to my locker.

Cady's at hers, with all the contents spilled out onto the floor. She sees me coming and gives me a questioning glance. I open my own locker as she asks me, "What are you doing?"

I retrieve my extra notebook and shut my locker. I kneel next to Cady to be at her lever. "I've been such a bad friend. When you left I had an idea, and so I'm gonna do something about it."

Picking up a pen from the floor, I tell Cady, "I'm borrowing this."

As I stand up and I'm about to walk away, Cady grabs my ankle. "Wait, you're not going to help me clean?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "No. What gave you that idea?"

Cady looks confused. "But... but the way you worded that... I thought... you were... helping me clean?"

Shaking my head, I chuckle. "I was referring to Luke. But next time you clean your locker I'll help out."

She lets go of my ankle and I turn and walk off. From behind me, Cady calls out, "Whatever you do, just remember that I ship you two!" Even at a distance, I can recognize the suggestiveness in her voice. I just roll my eyes.

I make my way through the hallways until I find his locker. Sitting down with my back against it, I open my notebook to a clean pen and write out something.

My dear, dear Luke,

I'd love it if you'd accompany me back to my house to spend the evening with me. We can do whatever you want, as long as you're with me. That ok with you, Hayes??

Yours truly,

CAMI

(Or Van, whatever is fine)

I rip the page out of my notebook before I start to overthink my words and fold up the page. Then, using my (admittedly meager) origami skills, I fold another sheet and a half of paper into a box and but the letter into it. On top of the paper box I write, FOR LUKE. I leave it on top of his locker and as the bell rings, I start speed-walking back to my locker.

I get back to my locker just as Cady finishes putting things back into hers. "What'd you do?" She inquires.

Answering her, I reply casually, "Invited him over."

Cady's mouth drops open into an exaggerated smile. She reaches into her locker and grabs her backpack, still smiling widely. "I won't wait up! I'll let y'all have your..." She pauses, wiggling her eyebrows, "...alone time."

I playfully slap her arm. "Cady," I say sternly.

She laughs and shrugs. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cami. Tell me all about your night tomorrow." She walks away, laughing evilly, before I can slap her again.

I turn back towards my locker to gather my things for my next class. As I put the last of my textbooks into my backpack, I feel the presence of a human behind me.

"Hi."

Even though I know it's Luke, I jump. While I turn to face him, he chuckles and adjusts the strap of his backpack on his shoulder.

I smile softly at him. "Hey."

Luke smirks. "I got your letter. I'll accept your offer."

My soft smile widens into a Cady-like smile. "Yay!" I quickly grab my backpack and shut my locker. "Let's go."

I grab Luke's hand and lead him out of the school. "We are going to have such a fun afternoon! Well, I think. What do you wanna do?"

Luke's smirks is still plastered onto his good-looking face. "Depends. Are your parents home?"

Feeling my eyes widen, I stutter, "U-uhhmm... n-no...."

Luke laughs. "Chill, Van, I'm not thinking what you think I'm thinking."

I let out a breath. "Oh. Okay."

Luke keeps walking beside me, tightening his grip on my hand. "Why aren't your parents home?"

I sigh. "They're almost never home. My dad is a captain on a cruise line. My mom's a chef for the same cruise line. They loved to travel before I was born, and decided they didn't want me ruining that, and so they're really only home a few times a year."

Luke slides his hand out of mine and instead wraps his arm around my shoulders. "Sorry."

I shake my head. "No, you were bound to know at some point. It's a normal question. It's okay."

Luke's fingers trace patterns into my shoulder as we keep walking towards my house. "I have a question."

I look up at him. "What?"

He meets my gaze. "Are you really alone all the time?"

Averting my eyes, I nod, not wanting to give away any sadness I may feel about my situation. "Pretty much. Except at school."

I don't expect Luke to say what he does next. "Van, you've got yourself a new housemate."

A/N

See, I have an excuse for my long time away in between updates. Let's just say, death and funerals can set you back big time.

Anyways. Subject change. If you're thinking that this is moving fast, trust me, it's not going nearly as fast as you think. I just want to create the illusion that it is. Mwahaha.

I realize that the past couple of chapters have been 90% Etch, and so in the next few chapters I'ma give you lotsa Luke. Who do you like more?? Honestly, I'm not sure who I like more right now 😂

Also. If you have any ideas for actors that could (in theory) play characters in this story, feel free to comment.

Randomness: I've got Tell Me How by Paramore stuck in my head. 

Thank you for reading!!!

~Alex